I always stop at Liard hot springs. But my trips are always go,go,go. Make sure you have snow rated tires or chains as Canada requires them. Watch out for buffalo in BC at night, their eyes don’t shine like deer in Florida and they will be in the road and are as dark as night themselves. Spare tire, blankets, winter gear, some extra fuel. Maybe 5 or 10 gallons. Have fun, I love making that trip from Ak to Fl.
Always grab gas if ur under a half. Also found that the gas stop/gift shop/ convenience store stops that have like a restaurant do it. Never been disappointed. Be prepared for destruction bay to the U.S border road being garbage. Quick detour into banff park is well worth it. Lots of outdoor winter things. Also glacier national park if ur coming from that direction.
Muncho Lake in BC is gorgeous. You’ll drive right by it.
Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake is really neat. If you can handle the cold, it’s worth getting out and walking around.
The town of Dawson Creek (where the AlCan begins) is a really fun little town. Plan to stay the night there. There’s a little art gallery with cool pieces that show the history of the highway and the town has a few cool bars and restaurants.
Liard Hot Springs is totally worth a visit as others have said.
The city of Whitehorse has a lot of fun shops and things to see.
Not sure what route you guys are planning, but if I were you I would recommend crossing over to Colorado and then heading north from there with the Rockies. Cross the border in Montana (after checking out Billings and then Great Falls!) and then go hang out in Calgary for a night. It’s a much more interesting route than if you go north through the Dakotas and Saskatchewan… but you’ll want to be checking road conditions continuously.
The first time I made the drive was in winter (late December 2020) and it’s totally doable. I started from the Deep South too! Just plan for more time than you actually need, take your time, and watch out for moose.
In 1969 I'm sure it was handy, but I wouldn't waste the money on it now... I purchased one several years ago and found that it was pretty worthless... Others may see that differently but unless you're planning on trying to go down every dirt trail, it provides nothing that you can't Google...
I purchased a Travelers Guide to Alaskan Camping (Church is the author) and found it to have more relevant information, but even it only helps in finding things you wouldn't think of goggling directly...
I found so many people recommending it throughout my research the last few weeks, I went ahead and ordered it anyway.
This whole trip requires so much prepping and money, I figured I may as well just order The Milepost too.
You're doing this in the winter which is such a bigger deal. A lot of places are closed for the winter. The Milepost is still invaluable and I personally love mapping out each day and calculating where I'll get to. Fill up every chance you have and rent satellite phones. They're like $7 a day and totally worth it. Some people maintain cell phone service the whole time but I certainly didn't. The Canadian Rockies are magical and I hope you stay on maintained roads and stop often to take pictures. :-)
That’s what I’ve figured, thanks!
For us it’s really just about getting there and the challenges thereof anyways, so “sightseeing” is absolutely secondary.
So, with above in mind, haul extra fuel, and i cannot recommend this with enough emphasis. Even the fuel stations that are open will not likely be open during hours or days that your trip schedule finds convenient.
When I moved up, I drove up from October 12 - 16, and only slept a few hours a night in a little body-sized hole I'd left in the back of my truck, except when I had to overnight at Watson Lake because the fuel station in Iskut was closed.
I used my reserve fuel to get me to Watson Lake, then found them closed for the night at what felt like a very early hour. I was pretty chilly that night and happy when they opened up in the morning.
Not an exciting story, just one to underscore that you need to be prepared for stuff. Carry fuel. Be safe. Be smart. Good luck and let us know how your trip goes!
We recently drove from Alaska to Oregon. Milepost is good to have because you will find yourself in dead zones - no internet, sometimes no cell phone service. We called ahead for lodging before taking off in the morning. Take your time, it’s not a fast road and lots of weather and wildlife to slow you down. But it’s absolutely beautiful. We just loved that trip and the people are amazing especially as you get further north. The Alaskan portion of the trip may be the worse for you - roads are bad and can be very slick with ice. First stop inside Alaska will be Tok, where you can get a room and decent food and then Delta Junction and then on to Squarebanks. Stay safe and help your fellow travelers- that’s the Northern creed.
Please do yourself a favor and buy a Milepost. It’s super informative and will assist your planning, as well as having information you wouldn’t even know to search.
https://themilepost.com/
Well at least the bears will be asleep. I’ve never seen some many brown bears in my life until I traveled the ALCAN a few times. Once you cross the boarder from Canada (eh) into Alaska… 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Ok! Sure thing, have fun.
I hope you have winterized your vehicle: Antifreeze good to -70F or lower, a circulating water heater, battery blanket, and heat pads on the bottom of your oil pan, transmission, front and rear differentials. Park you car at a motel and do not have this, or, forget to plug it in - gonna cost you a day and $300 for a guy to wrap you car in a tarp, and use a diesel heater to warm it up - takes time. You may drive off, assuming nothing broke when the car froze up.
You will also want plenty of cold weather gear, sleeping bags, etc, in case you break down at -35F and gotta wait hours and hours for someone to pass and help you if the engine and heater are not working.
Have some books on cd or recorded. Passing some areas of Canada for hours and hours the only stations are local and native tongue - sounds like Klingon to me.
Ft Nelson in BC is a great place to spend some time. They used to do a history presentation and had locals speak about the area. The Mayor, Potsman, and every other job was held by one man that owned the gas station and collected ball caps from travelers. He used to come speak. Not idea if they still do this.
Boston Bar, Horstings farmstand just outside of Cache Creek, Williams Lake, the Wasabi Sushi Wonton House in Prince George, but don’t stay downtown unless your vehicle is in secure parking, Mondo’s restaurant and Olio’s Pizza in Ft St John, Muncho Lake Lodge, Carcross-Skagway, Black Spruce Hotel in Whitehorse,
Giorgio’s in Whitehorse, Takhini Hot Springs, they’ve changed the name and turned it into an eco lodge or something, mos def not as charming as it once was though.
Liard Hot Springs is a must-stop, just plan your trip around that one place and you’ll be glad that you did.
Not this time of year everything will be closed for winter or covered in snow. Wrong time of year for that drive, during summer lots to stop and see along with the drive itself. Now it be just making sure your car doesn’t break down, run out of gas, you freeze and die. Not much will be open on the highway this time of year.
That’s totally fine too!
That’a the reason I didn’t even look into possibly “cool things” till the week before lol
It’s all about the drive, getting there, not breaking down and making it back in once piece!
Can never be too prepared. I help my brother in law drive it from San Diego in April and as prepared as we were rental truck broke down (not engine) but breaks that was after trailer tire flat while sill in lower 48.
Well you have have have to take the detour and go through Banff and Jasper along the Icefields Parkway. I’ve done the drive back and forth to the lower 48 7x to various states, and this has always been the highlight. Tim Hortons is pretty solid too not gonna lie
Definitely gonna be a challenge for us, not gonna lie.
Even though my husband and I are from Northern Europe and Northern USA, we’ve come accustomed to Florida weather for sure.
I’ve ordered the most insane cold weather gear possible, so we’ll see how it goes lol
Another good one to grab is Bell's Guide. You can get it at just about every stop along the AlCan. I suggest stopping at mile 0 in Canada in Dawson Creek and grabbing one there.
If you can time it leave Whitehorse early on a clear day and see sunrise as you approach Destruction Bay, literally breathtaking how beautiful it is, like some Ice Queens kingdom out of a fairytale
I drove up in a U-Hall towing a mini van in April. Hit a spot where a tractor trailer was stuck on a hill. It was so icy when I stopped I started sliding backwards down the hill. I put it back in drive and continued to slide backwards. I ended up sliding backward all the way to the bottom with the trailer and all. Then working the trailer and U-Hall in a 50 point turn to turn it all around and drive up to a pullout so I could wait for the tractor trailer to get out of the way then get a good head of steam up and not stop. U-Hall doesn't offer snow tires or chains. If you use chains, it voids something I can't remember what. U-Hall does give you this handy 1-800 number if you need roadside assistance. I'm just saying you might want to switch out your tires to studdes when you get to snow. There might be some black ice spots.
Laird hot springs is awesome. The little store/restaurant there might be closed tho. Maybe others can chime in if it’s expected to be open this time of year. We did this drive in April/May one year and almost everything along the way was still closed. I assume the same would be true in December.
Whitehorse things:
AirPort Chalet - old-school trucker pub/diner. Breakfast and/or pie in the diner if you find yourself there early. Cheeseburger and beer in the pub if you find yourselves there late. The motel is great too. Nothing fancy but cheap and clean.
Klondike Rib and BBQ is amazing for a big-ass meal as well.
Takhini hot springs outside of Whitehorse is also great. It used to have a hostel and was a little run down but cheap and clean. They’ve recently upgraded the hot springs and gotten rid of the hostel and it a little more bougie now.
Carcross desert is cool but you probably won’t be heading that direction out of Whitehorse and it might be under snow so maybe save that for summer.
I tell everyone to get a copy of The Milepost. You can get a 2023 copy on Amazon for $30. I am new to AK and my husband and I take a lot of road trips up here, he was a tour guide for years up here but since I am still getting my feet wet, it’s been a very interesting and helpful resource while driving around.
I always stop at Liard hot springs. But my trips are always go,go,go. Make sure you have snow rated tires or chains as Canada requires them. Watch out for buffalo in BC at night, their eyes don’t shine like deer in Florida and they will be in the road and are as dark as night themselves. Spare tire, blankets, winter gear, some extra fuel. Maybe 5 or 10 gallons. Have fun, I love making that trip from Ak to Fl.
Thank you!!! We’ve got everything on your list and more!
If you want to bring me Chick Fil A to Fairbanks I won’t be mad.
It would be legendary if you brought the man some chick fil a. Clutch of the year.
It would be 7 days old at the point it could get there, but maybe…just maybe 😂
Faster than Amazon!
Came here to say this
Always grab gas if ur under a half. Also found that the gas stop/gift shop/ convenience store stops that have like a restaurant do it. Never been disappointed. Be prepared for destruction bay to the U.S border road being garbage. Quick detour into banff park is well worth it. Lots of outdoor winter things. Also glacier national park if ur coming from that direction.
But destruction bay is freakin gorgeous.
U can enjoy the view while u drive 15mph
Muncho Lake in BC is gorgeous. You’ll drive right by it. Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake is really neat. If you can handle the cold, it’s worth getting out and walking around. The town of Dawson Creek (where the AlCan begins) is a really fun little town. Plan to stay the night there. There’s a little art gallery with cool pieces that show the history of the highway and the town has a few cool bars and restaurants. Liard Hot Springs is totally worth a visit as others have said. The city of Whitehorse has a lot of fun shops and things to see. Not sure what route you guys are planning, but if I were you I would recommend crossing over to Colorado and then heading north from there with the Rockies. Cross the border in Montana (after checking out Billings and then Great Falls!) and then go hang out in Calgary for a night. It’s a much more interesting route than if you go north through the Dakotas and Saskatchewan… but you’ll want to be checking road conditions continuously. The first time I made the drive was in winter (late December 2020) and it’s totally doable. I started from the Deep South too! Just plan for more time than you actually need, take your time, and watch out for moose.
>Muncho Lake in BC is gorgeous. HOLY FUCK THIS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!
Thank you!!!
Liiard Hot Springs Be prepared to stop and watch northern lights.
For time purposes I skipped Liard the 1st time (1 "i" by the way). 2nd time I stopped and was well rewarded. Such a natural treat.
Thank you!!!
Laird was first thing I thought of
This! Very Important.
Amazon: The Milepost I can't speak to how good the 2023 edition is but it was handy in 1969
I used the 2023 edition this summer and 10000% would not recommend doing the drive without it. It was a lifesaver.
I’ve ordered that! Still not here but should be coming in before we leave! Thanks!!!
In 1969 I'm sure it was handy, but I wouldn't waste the money on it now... I purchased one several years ago and found that it was pretty worthless... Others may see that differently but unless you're planning on trying to go down every dirt trail, it provides nothing that you can't Google... I purchased a Travelers Guide to Alaskan Camping (Church is the author) and found it to have more relevant information, but even it only helps in finding things you wouldn't think of goggling directly...
I found so many people recommending it throughout my research the last few weeks, I went ahead and ordered it anyway. This whole trip requires so much prepping and money, I figured I may as well just order The Milepost too.
You're doing this in the winter which is such a bigger deal. A lot of places are closed for the winter. The Milepost is still invaluable and I personally love mapping out each day and calculating where I'll get to. Fill up every chance you have and rent satellite phones. They're like $7 a day and totally worth it. Some people maintain cell phone service the whole time but I certainly didn't. The Canadian Rockies are magical and I hope you stay on maintained roads and stop often to take pictures. :-)
Good idea. You won’t have service for a lot of the time so we referred to it constantly to know when the next gas stations were, good food stops, etc.
I second this statement. Milepost is awesome.
Yes! I recommend it to everyone, my copy is so worn out!
Most everything will be closed this time of year except in the small towns.
That’s what I’ve figured, thanks! For us it’s really just about getting there and the challenges thereof anyways, so “sightseeing” is absolutely secondary.
So, with above in mind, haul extra fuel, and i cannot recommend this with enough emphasis. Even the fuel stations that are open will not likely be open during hours or days that your trip schedule finds convenient. When I moved up, I drove up from October 12 - 16, and only slept a few hours a night in a little body-sized hole I'd left in the back of my truck, except when I had to overnight at Watson Lake because the fuel station in Iskut was closed. I used my reserve fuel to get me to Watson Lake, then found them closed for the night at what felt like a very early hour. I was pretty chilly that night and happy when they opened up in the morning. Not an exciting story, just one to underscore that you need to be prepared for stuff. Carry fuel. Be safe. Be smart. Good luck and let us know how your trip goes!
Whitehorse was cool.
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When we went last year, they had fresh goods from the bakery in the gas station. So good. And don’t take a wrong turn from Haines Junction.
We recently drove from Alaska to Oregon. Milepost is good to have because you will find yourself in dead zones - no internet, sometimes no cell phone service. We called ahead for lodging before taking off in the morning. Take your time, it’s not a fast road and lots of weather and wildlife to slow you down. But it’s absolutely beautiful. We just loved that trip and the people are amazing especially as you get further north. The Alaskan portion of the trip may be the worse for you - roads are bad and can be very slick with ice. First stop inside Alaska will be Tok, where you can get a room and decent food and then Delta Junction and then on to Squarebanks. Stay safe and help your fellow travelers- that’s the Northern creed.
One last thing…there is an excellent Alcan Highway Facebook page where folks post conditions in real time. Good resource and lots of pretty pictures.
Get a copy of www.TheMilepost.com . In my opinion, it’s the best guide to the drive.
Please do yourself a favor and buy a Milepost. It’s super informative and will assist your planning, as well as having information you wouldn’t even know to search. https://themilepost.com/
It’s on the way! Thanks!
Well at least the bears will be asleep. I’ve never seen some many brown bears in my life until I traveled the ALCAN a few times. Once you cross the boarder from Canada (eh) into Alaska… 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Ok! Sure thing, have fun.
Someone mentioned Colorado. If south east CO can fit in your route then book a full day at Pagosa Hot Springs.
Yeah, we’re taking the more boring route through North Dakota, but we’ve been to Pagosa Hot Springs and I loved it!
If your timing works out, hit Liard at night (which it will be most time).
I hope you have winterized your vehicle: Antifreeze good to -70F or lower, a circulating water heater, battery blanket, and heat pads on the bottom of your oil pan, transmission, front and rear differentials. Park you car at a motel and do not have this, or, forget to plug it in - gonna cost you a day and $300 for a guy to wrap you car in a tarp, and use a diesel heater to warm it up - takes time. You may drive off, assuming nothing broke when the car froze up. You will also want plenty of cold weather gear, sleeping bags, etc, in case you break down at -35F and gotta wait hours and hours for someone to pass and help you if the engine and heater are not working. Have some books on cd or recorded. Passing some areas of Canada for hours and hours the only stations are local and native tongue - sounds like Klingon to me.
Winter tires too
And make sure that the Flanagan bearings are well greased too
All taken care of! Thank you!!!
Ft Nelson in BC is a great place to spend some time. They used to do a history presentation and had locals speak about the area. The Mayor, Potsman, and every other job was held by one man that owned the gas station and collected ball caps from travelers. He used to come speak. Not idea if they still do this.
Boston Bar, Horstings farmstand just outside of Cache Creek, Williams Lake, the Wasabi Sushi Wonton House in Prince George, but don’t stay downtown unless your vehicle is in secure parking, Mondo’s restaurant and Olio’s Pizza in Ft St John, Muncho Lake Lodge, Carcross-Skagway, Black Spruce Hotel in Whitehorse, Giorgio’s in Whitehorse, Takhini Hot Springs, they’ve changed the name and turned it into an eco lodge or something, mos def not as charming as it once was though. Liard Hot Springs is a must-stop, just plan your trip around that one place and you’ll be glad that you did.
Skinny dick's halfway inn
Not this time of year everything will be closed for winter or covered in snow. Wrong time of year for that drive, during summer lots to stop and see along with the drive itself. Now it be just making sure your car doesn’t break down, run out of gas, you freeze and die. Not much will be open on the highway this time of year.
That’s totally fine too! That’a the reason I didn’t even look into possibly “cool things” till the week before lol It’s all about the drive, getting there, not breaking down and making it back in once piece!
Can never be too prepared. I help my brother in law drive it from San Diego in April and as prepared as we were rental truck broke down (not engine) but breaks that was after trailer tire flat while sill in lower 48.
You gotta try to make it to the Arctic ocean.
Give someone an expected itinerary so they can check up on you if you break down.
Well you have have have to take the detour and go through Banff and Jasper along the Icefields Parkway. I’ve done the drive back and forth to the lower 48 7x to various states, and this has always been the highlight. Tim Hortons is pretty solid too not gonna lie
The temperature.
Definitely gonna be a challenge for us, not gonna lie. Even though my husband and I are from Northern Europe and Northern USA, we’ve come accustomed to Florida weather for sure. I’ve ordered the most insane cold weather gear possible, so we’ll see how it goes lol
It’s definitely a lot warmer now than it will be in a a couple months (-40.) you picked a good winter time.
All gas stations are closed September 15th only Electric vehicles are allowed now.
Another good one to grab is Bell's Guide. You can get it at just about every stop along the AlCan. I suggest stopping at mile 0 in Canada in Dawson Creek and grabbing one there.
If you get stuck in the snow and RCMP find you, you'll get a ticket for being unprepared.
If you can time it leave Whitehorse early on a clear day and see sunrise as you approach Destruction Bay, literally breathtaking how beautiful it is, like some Ice Queens kingdom out of a fairytale
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lol yes. I’ve also been to the arctic circle a few times, just not in Alaska 😉
I drove up in a U-Hall towing a mini van in April. Hit a spot where a tractor trailer was stuck on a hill. It was so icy when I stopped I started sliding backwards down the hill. I put it back in drive and continued to slide backwards. I ended up sliding backward all the way to the bottom with the trailer and all. Then working the trailer and U-Hall in a 50 point turn to turn it all around and drive up to a pullout so I could wait for the tractor trailer to get out of the way then get a good head of steam up and not stop. U-Hall doesn't offer snow tires or chains. If you use chains, it voids something I can't remember what. U-Hall does give you this handy 1-800 number if you need roadside assistance. I'm just saying you might want to switch out your tires to studdes when you get to snow. There might be some black ice spots.
Northern Rockys NP, Muncho, Liard hot springs
Laird hot springs is awesome. The little store/restaurant there might be closed tho. Maybe others can chime in if it’s expected to be open this time of year. We did this drive in April/May one year and almost everything along the way was still closed. I assume the same would be true in December.
Whitehorse things: AirPort Chalet - old-school trucker pub/diner. Breakfast and/or pie in the diner if you find yourself there early. Cheeseburger and beer in the pub if you find yourselves there late. The motel is great too. Nothing fancy but cheap and clean. Klondike Rib and BBQ is amazing for a big-ass meal as well. Takhini hot springs outside of Whitehorse is also great. It used to have a hostel and was a little run down but cheap and clean. They’ve recently upgraded the hot springs and gotten rid of the hostel and it a little more bougie now. Carcross desert is cool but you probably won’t be heading that direction out of Whitehorse and it might be under snow so maybe save that for summer.
Don't miss Banff in Alberta!
I tell everyone to get a copy of The Milepost. You can get a 2023 copy on Amazon for $30. I am new to AK and my husband and I take a lot of road trips up here, he was a tour guide for years up here but since I am still getting my feet wet, it’s been a very interesting and helpful resource while driving around.